MGS3: Snake Eater impressions/reviews thread

[Dark Jaguar]

Yeah, radar and automaps are nice, but they aren't exactly one and the same. Now an automapping system so as you reveal the layout of areas is pleasent, but a radar is something that really affects the game in a much bigger way than just getting lost. For example, I happen to have Metal Gear for NES. Fun game, no radar at all. Really, it's a different feel to MGS and MGS2. I know it's not the original, and Hideo actually really dislikes that port (not nearly as much as he apparently hates the pathetic Metal Gear 2 on NES, which took the sneaking aspect out completely, he hated that enough to make his own REAL Metal Gear 2, and from what I've read it's awesome, but it's on a system I will never ever have), BUT, it managed to give me a good sense of sneaking around without knowing for sure what's around the next bend. I was all "oh no, what's on the next screen NES?, no not that!". Having played MGS3, I note that the radar was removed. Well, it is set in the cold war, that technology just wouldn't work all that well. They added a couple extra things (nice demo, including almost all the items in the game from the start like that :D, as opposed to the "prize" a certain OTHER demo offers), like Sonar and motion detector. They are limited in use for two reasons. One, battery life, the other, one needs things to be moving, and the other can be heard. I really don't get why others would be able to actually hear the sonar mind you, I'd think the device would use a frequency outside human hearing range myself :D, but oh well it adds some strategy. Anyway, as a result I end up looking through my binocs and doing corner peers a lot more often, usually as a result of some sound I heard but wasn't sure what direction it came from (ah the beauty of full rich mono, wouldn't trade it for da worlds), crawling about, and generally being all sortsa da sneaky. In MGS and MGS2 I'd sorta depend on the radar a lot. My eyes were generally glued to it, well not literally, I had to keep an eye on the actual gameplay the whole time since, well, that's where the game actually takes place and where I go to shoot, hide, and do stuff and the radar just doesn't have the detail, but it was close. I'd say I had one eye on the radar whenever it was available and I otherwise sensed danger could be around (my Snake senses ya know, or just finely honed gamer's instinct). So I'd say radar has it's place, but it's good to see that every now and then it's removed to totally change the focus of the game.

Actually, in every FPS I've ever played, my family, friends, whoever, we all agree that radar is "the stupid" and we ALWAYS shut it off to keep the game fun. (Among other things, like in the console games that don't system link, looking at the floor while running around blind so no one can see where you are going.)

Halo 2 however made it a motion detector so you can only see things that are moving, and not only that, moving quickly. Thus, every now and then turning it on, for the first time, added a fun element. It's still normaly shut off, but thinking no one is around only to suddenly spin around and see that person crouching and crawling towards your back side suddenly spring into a mad dash to slice you up is pretty fun. Weird, how that adjustment actually adds a certain sense of sneakiness rather than removes it... Of course it takes away other sneaking stuff, like being able to run without revealing yourself. Eh, it's a tradeoff...

Oh, what was I saying? Oh yes, I really want to get MGS3 eventually because I totally see how the limited radar can really make things more sneaky.